Heat, humidity and hubris

Last Friday I was talking about how the Spurs had to feel uneasy about winning without LeBron on the court. After Game 2 they can't feel too much better.

Despite the following let me offer a disclaimer of sorts: the Spurs could still easily win this series. They are too tough, too prideful and too talented to believe they can't beat LeBron or anybody else on the planet for that matter. They are the ultimate chameleon and can be whatever they need to be in order to beat you.

But the fact remains: in Game 1, the Heat had a two-point lead and LeBron left the game with 7:30 on the clock due to leg cramps…and the Spurs won.

In Game 2, with 7:30 on the clock, the Spurs had an 85-83 lead. LeBron didn't cramp up this time…and the Spurs lost.
You can almost see the shadows of doubt creep across the mind, can't you?

The Heat have the mental edge in this series and now they're going home for two games. Their Game 2 victory has allowed them to do what they wanted to do: get a split in San Antonio. And they could say with a straight face -- though they never would -- they may have won both games had LeBron not cramped up in Game 1.

The Spurs are left with a split at home and air conditioning might be the only thing that kept them from being 0-2 in the series. Now they're going to Miami.

If the Miami Heat have an equal in the league in the currency of toughness, it's the San Antonio Spurs. Popovich and company can win on anybody's floor. But from a psychological perspective, the edge in this series is clearly favoring the Heat…unless the AC crashes in Miami.